Receive the latest press-here updates in your inbox

AppleInsider reports that an unnamed source shared the company's plans and that Apple will create branded areas in 25 Target stores. Apple is reportedly specifically seeking locations which can't sustain an Apple store. From the report:

The initial opening would be a small start, given that Target, the second-largest discount retail chain in the US, operates 1752 stores in the US. Apple has opened 359 of its own retail stores globally, 245 of which are in the US.

This isn't the first time Apple has done a store-within-a-store. Apple already does so in more than 600 Best Buy locations, but is looking to expand even more. Target began selling the iPad in October 2010 and a month later began selling iPhones in 850 locations.

It's obvious why Apple is partnering with Target. With more than 1,700 stores, it's an easy and inexpensive way to extend Apple's retail arm across the United States. Apple recently paid $5 million for a 10-year lease in Grand Central Station, but the tech company can't be expected to lay out millions across the country -- especially in areas that marketers have already determined couldn't support a standalone Apple store.

Let's just hope that Target is more generous with discounts than Apple.